Anyone who’s ever earned a paycheck has stories to tell of their worst job or boss ever. (I certainly have a few of those myself. ) And a few lucky souls are able to boast about jobs they love and colleagues they enjoy working with. Job satisfaction is important to many of us, but it can certainly be elusive.

Jobvent.com gives employees a forum for letting it all hang out and sharing their reviews of the companies they work for. This web site allows visitors to search for companies by name or click on the list of top 10 best and worst companies to find out what people have to say about bosses, benefits, pay, working conditions, and other concerns.

A brief glance at the gripes posted about the 10 Worst Companies is most instructive for anyone who is interested in conflict as a phenomenon in the workplace. Poor communication and lack of respect are evident, and result in low employee morale, decreased productivity, absenteeism, and attrition. Many of these reviews are imbued with an embittered sense of “us versus them”.

Companies could learn some lessons here—a kind of “How Not To Succeed In Business”. Being proactive never hurts either—implementing conflict management systems, as well as providing training for h.r., managers and employees can make a difference.

Employers take note. (Especially my old manager Bob, who always stuck me on the closing shift on Saturday night.)